Route 9 Billboard Approved by Planning Board

A new billboard will be constructed along Route 9, just south of the exit for Salem Hill Road.

The Howell Planning Board unanimously approved a site plan Thursday night that was submitted by Jersey Outdoor Media LLC earlier this summer. The application was amended to reflect design changes after concerns were raised about the billboard's initial V-shaped dimension.

The application was , where attorney Todd Cohen, Jersey Outdoor Media LLC owner Chet Atkins and engineer Ron Sive came before the board to plead their case. Sive then noted the concerns about the V-shaped design, and has since redesigned the planned structure to be two-sided, facing front and back.

After further questioning from the planning board members, some local residents expressed concern that the billboard would be too bright and would cause car accidents from drivers being distracted. Cohen testified the lights were as minimal as possible so as to reduce distraction, and Planning Board Chair Vincent Tantillo added he could not recall ever hearing of a car crash from a billboard.

Because Jersey Outdoor Media amended its plan at the initial meeting, just a preliminary site plan was approved until the final vote Thursday night.

In other board action:

• , located on Route 9, learned it would soon come before the Planning Board to present its case for an outdoor patio outside the eatery.

“This is a pretty straightforward application, and I don’t think there should be any issues with any of the waivers they need to start this application,” board Engineer Laura Neumann said.

• Outdoor Media Systems also earned support from Neumann in its bid to install billboards at 5440 Route 9 South and 1449 Route 9 North.

The engineer said she believed the application was ready to proceed before the board, adding that both Outdoor Media and Season's would likely be heard in September.

The next Howell Township Planning Board meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Aug. 4.